First Drive: Peugeot 2008

Prices for the new Peugeot 2008 crossover start from just under €19,000

Peugeot is inviting Irish drivers to ‘see the road in a different light’ with the arrival of its new compact crossover, the Peugeot 2008, which we got to take for a quick spin at its Irish launch.

The Peugeot 2008 is a stylish and sturdy looking compact SUV. The test car was an Active trim 1.2 Hdi 82bhp and we found it was comfortable, and as perfectly at home on the city streets as it was on the motorway.

Inside, the cabin is minimalist and feels spacious and closely resembles the new Peugeot 208 on which it’s based.

This design includes Peugeot’s brilliant small steering wheel as well as an unusually shaped ‘aircraft type’ handbrake.

Peugeot sees a wide variety of drivers behind the wheel of the Peugeot 2008, including trendsetters, both urban and rural drivers, small families and empty nesters.

Three trim levels of the Peugeot 2008 are available in Ireland – Access, Active and Allure – with a choice of petrol and diesel engines, ranging from a 1.2-litre petrol VTi 82bhp to a 1.6-litre e-HDi 115.

Standard specification on the entry level Access Peugeot 2008 includes cruise control, air conditioning, LED daytime running lights and front electric windows.

However, move up to the mid-level Active trim we were driving and you also get a multi-function colour touch screen radio with Bluetooth, USB, and steering wheel remote controls; front fog lamps, rear parking sensors and auto lights and wipers just some of the standard equipment.

The cabin in the Peugeot 2008 is stylish and sophisticated

The top level Allure spec also includes a panoramic glass roof, dark tinted rear windows and automatic dual zone air conditioning.

Options include Grip Control, which improves grip in poor conditions (€255, Allure models), Park Assist, which allows the car to control steering to park with the driver retaining control of acceleration and braking (€480, 1.6 diesel models) and Sat Nav + colour screen (€510, Allure models).

Peugeot sales and marketing director, Des Cannon said: ‘Peugeot’s new 2008 is a compact and stylish vehicle that offers great passenger space and a higher driving position to instill a feeling of safety and security.

‘Our latest generation engines offer an exceptional driving experience, combined with a real breakthrough in performance and fuel economy with CO2 starting from just 98g/km, to allow 2008 to stand out from the competition.’

We were impressed with the Peugeot 2008 during our short city and motorway drive and we look forward to further exploring it on a longer test.

Prices for the Peugeot 2008 start from €18,595 for the 1.2 VTi 82bhp petrol entry level Access version and from €19,515 for the 1.4 HDi 70bhp diesel Access model.

Visit the Peugeot Ireland website or its Facebook page for further details.

Related articles
Summer date for Peugeot 2008 crossover